Concussed
by RedLion2
Summary: On a snowy winter night, Allura Castle finds herself in the ditch - stuck. Set in my Call of the Lions universe, pre-CotL. Written for the KAEX "Stuck" challenge. K/A, and includes a VV character.


I don't own Voltron or its associated characters.

Written for the KAEX "Stuck" challenge.

CONCUSSED

Allura Castle turned the radio up in her Jeep Liberty, letting the rock and roll wash over her as she drove down the snowy road. It was Christmas break, and she was headed to her friend Lisa Quin's house for a much-needed girls' only night of corny romance movies and junk food. As she sang along with the heavy metal, she thought about her boyfriend, Keith Kogane, and wondered how he was spending his night. _Probably watching some sporting event,_ she thought with a smile. Keith played football and baseball, but pretty much every sport interested him. Her phone rang and she glanced at it, seeing that it was her mom. _Ugh, already? I just left the house ten minutes ago._ Her parents had divorced earlier in the year, in the spring, and since that time, her mother had been unbearably attached to her. _Especially since her temper tantrum right after Dad left._ Allura frowned, thinking back to the night her mom had been throwing things and slowly going into the deep end. But she'd recovered and even though she was much too clingy for Allura's liking, she seemed to have gotten used to being divorced.

Rounding a curve in the country road, Allura saw a doe leap out from the ditch on the right side. She let out a surprised gasp and swerved, trying to avoid hitting the beautiful animal. The Jeep slid on an icy patch in the road, and she found herself in a spin. Clutching the steering wheel in fright, her heart beating so hard it almost hurt, she hung on until the Jeep spun itself off into the opposite ditch, going down hard on its nose.

She was aware of something pressing against her as she opened her eyes. Something white was in her face, and she swallowed, realizing it was the air bag. She pressed on it, shifting it so she could see better. Her phone was on the passenger side floor; she cautiously reached for it after undoing her seatbelt. Outside it was now fully-dark, and she looked at the time on the phone: 7:10 pm. _I've been out for ten minutes?_ A painful throb went through her head, and she felt tears gathering in her eyes. _Oh no, don't cry. It's okay._ The Jeep wasn't running, and she tried to start it. "Come on, baby, please. I don't want to be stuck!" she said, ignoring the tremors running through her voice. But the Jeep wouldn't start, and she knew she'd have to call someone to bail her out.

Her phone suddenly rang, scaring her so much she nearly dropped it. She looked at the caller ID and her heart jumped. "Hey, babe," she said. She willed her voice to sound normal.

"What's wrong?" Keith asked instantly. "Are you okay?"

"Um, well, sort of," she told him. "I almost hit a deer."

"Almost?" He sounded alarmed.

_Not as alarmed as he's going to,_ she thought while saying, "I missed the deer, but went into the ditch. And now the Jeep won't start."

"Are you hurt? Where are you?" Keith's voice was calm, but she heard the thread of panic in it.

"I'm on, um, its Lisa's road," she said. Her mind was fuzzy, and she couldn't recall the name of the road. In fact, she was starting to have trouble remembering what she was even doing out here.

"Did you call 911?"

"No, I didn't call anyone yet," she told him. Her eyes felt incredibly heavy, and she forced them to stay open, knowing that going to sleep right now wasn't a good idea. "I think I might have a concussion," she said. Her voice was starting to sound like it was far away.

"Listen honey, stay awake and stay calm, okay? I'm going to call the police and come get you," Keith said. His voice was firm and commanding.

"Okay," she said. She was already seriously doubting she could stay awake, though. "Keith, hurry," she whispered. It was getting cold inside the Jeep, and a prick of fear touched her spine. It was dark and cold, and she was alone.

"I will, honey. Lock the doors if they aren't already," he said. "I'm on my way."

The phone call ended and she set her phone on the seat next to her. She tried to open her door, just to see if she could, but the ditch was deep with heavy snow, and it was packed too tightly around the vehicle. She swallowed back the rising sense of being trapped and made sure the doors were locked. Snuggling down into her heavy winter coat, she tried to keep her eyes open. She knew Keith would be there was fast as he could, and then she would be okay.

Her phone rang again, and she picked it up. _Lisa._ "Hey, Lis," she said.

"Are you okay? You're never this late," Lisa said. She spoke softly.

"I'm in a ditch just down the road from your house, actually," Allura told her. She forced her eyes open again.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay? I'll get my dad," Lisa said. There was a note of panic in her voice.

"No, it's okay. Keith is calling the cops and coming to get me," Allura said. Her eyes drifted closed. "I'm okay. I think I just have a concussion."

"You're not okay then. Hold on."

Allura heard Lisa talking to someone in the back ground, and then Lisa said, "Dad and I are coming to get you. We'll be right there."

Sighing, Allura set her phone back down and rested her head back against the seat. _Don't fall asleep,_ she told herself. _Keith is coming. Stay awake._ But her eyes refused to open, and the cold was seeping into her bones. The wind had picked up, and she shivered as it railed against the Jeep, swirling the snow into a frenzy. It was so cold, and dark, and she wished she were anywhere but right here. _So much for our girls' night – I'll probably have to spend the night at the hospital or something._ A frown crossed her delicate face as she thought about it.

She was vaguely aware of some kind of noise, and forced her eyes to open. There was a knock on the window, and she glanced out, letting out a little scream when a face was suddenly pressed against the glass. "Keith!" she gasped. Her heart was pounding in her chest, out of control.

"Ally, unlock the door," Keith said, his breath fogging the glass over.

She hit the unlock button and the door was yanked open, letting in a blast of icy air and snow. She cowered away from it, trying to hide her face in the collar of her coat.

"It's okay, sweetheart. Come here," Keith said, reaching in for her. "I'll get you out of here." He held his hands out to her, and she moved over so she could take them. Keith gave a quick pull and she found herself in his strong arms. He kissed her cheek and forehead before murmuring, "Thank goodness you're okay."

"Thank you for coming to get me," she whispered.

"I'll always come when you need me," he whispered back. He turned and started up the side of the ditch, holding her to him with one arm and using his other hand to climb out.

"Keith, here."

Allura looked up to see Lisa's dad tossing Keith a rope, which he quickly grabbed. Mr. Quin pulled them up, and then Allura was being hugged by a pale-faced Lisa. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Lisa whispered.

"Just a bump on the head, I think," Allura said. She shivered and Lisa let go of her. Instantly, she was wrapped up in Keith's arms again; this time he picked her up and squeezed her to his chest.

"There's a bad storm on the radar," Mr. Quin said. "I doubt the ambulance will be able to get out here. You two come back to our house," he told them.

"Okay," Keith said. He carried Allura over to his truck and set her down gently on the passenger side seat, then carefully buckled her in. Taking off his heavy ski jacket, he tucked it around her and shut the door. A few moments later they were following Mr. Quin's big truck down the road. Keith glanced at her. "Are you really okay, sweetheart?" There was sweet concern in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said quietly. "I'm just really tired now."

"We'll need to keep you awake," he said, reaching out to turn his truck's heater on high.

"Do you think my Jeep will be okay?"

"I don't know, sweetheart. But insurance should cover any damages, I think," he told her. "Don't worry about that stuff now." His voice was gentle, and he smiled at her. They pulled into the Quin's driveway a half-mile down the road, and Keith parked off to the side of Lisa's 4-Runner. "Stay right there," he told Allura, and got out, coming around the truck to open her door.

"I can walk," she protested as he helped her out and then scooped her into his arms.

"I know," he said. "But I like carrying you."

She had nothing to say to that, so she snuggled against his warm chest as he carried her into the Quin's garage, up the short flight of stairs, and into their house. Mr. Quin was on the phone with someone, and Keith set Allura down into a chair. She took off her coat while he knelt and pulled her tennis shoes off, glancing up at her as he did so.

"We'll get you warmed up," he told her, his gentle voice wrapping itself around her like a cocoon.

"Come with me," Lisa said, tugging on Allura's hand. Allura got to her feet and let Lisa lead her into the Quin's huge living room, where Lisa directed her to a couch. "These should help warm you up," the slim dark-haired girl said, grabbing two heavy flannel blankets off the back of a rocker and putting them over the blonde.

"Thanks, Lisa," Allura whispered. She burrowed down them until just her face was showing, making Lisa giggle.

"You're welcome. I just hope you feel better," Lisa said, smiling. She turned to Keith when he approached. "I'll make hot chocolate. Why don't you two find something to watch?" She picked up the TV remote and handed it to him. "If the satellite is out, we can watch movies."

"Sounds good. Thanks, Lisa," he said and sat down on the couch next to Allura as Lisa left the room. He reached out and touched the top of Allura's head. "How you feeling, honey?"

"Better." She let out a small sigh. "I just hope my mom isn't too mad at me." Her eyes widened for a second. "I'd better call her."

Keith pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I'll do it. And don't worry, it wasn't your fault." He gave her a reassuring smile and made the call to Mrs. Castle. Allura bit her lip, hoping he was right. Her mother had always been fiery-tempered, but was even more so now, after her divorce. She rarely took it out on her two children, but it wasn't a pretty thing to behold even when it wasn't directed at them. Keith explained what had happened and was quiet for a moment, then added they were at Lisa's, and Allura was okay.

Lisa walked back into the room and handed her a mug of hot cocoa. "Are you feeling okay?" she whispered.

"Better," Allura said. Her head was pounding, though, and she asked quietly, "Do you have any Advil or anything?"

"Tylenol," Keith said. He'd put his phone down on the end table and was looking at the two girls. "Advil or ibuprofen will make any bruising worse, but you can have Tylenol."

"I think we've got some. I'll go check." Lisa hurried from the room, and Keith smiled at Allura.

"Your mom is worried, but not mad. I told her as soon as the storm lets up I'll take you into the hospital, and she can meet us there."

"Okay. Thanks," she murmured. Her vision was suddenly fuzzy, and she blinked hard. Keith sat forward and touched her cheek.

"Sweetheart? What is it?" he asked. His voice was soft, and she heard the deep concern in it.

"My eyes are kind of fuzzy," she said, swallowing hard. Her stomach suddenly clenched, and she had to fight not to throw up.

"Hold on." Keith left the couch, and she heard him in the kitchen, asking for a big bowl.

Bile rose up in her throat, and she forced it back down. Her body was trembling, and she realized she really wasn't that okay. Keith knelt down next to her and held out a big stainless steel bowl. "Here, honey."

"Maybe I should go into the bathroom," she suggested, her voice weak.

He shook his head. "No, I don't want to move you."

Mr. Quin walked in and stood next to the couch. He leaned over the back of it toward her. "He's right, Allura. We shouldn't move you." He was frowning. "This storm should blow itself out in the next hour, and then we'll get you to the hospital and they can look you over." He spoke in a deep, calming voice that soothed her, and she gave a tiny nod.

"Okay," she whispered. She dry-heaved into the bowl, embarrassed, but neither Keith nor Mr. Quin seemed bothered in the least. Keith put his hand on her knee, squeezing it reassuringly. Lisa walked back in from the other end of the house and pulled up an ottoman so she could sit near her.

"I've got some Tylenol, Ally, when you feel like you can take it," she said softly.

Allura tried to smile and nod, but the motion made her dizzy, and her world tilted at a weird angle. It felt like she was falling, and she swayed. Keith moved closer and put his arm around her, snugging her into his side.

"Easy, honey. I've got you," he murmured. "It's going to be okay."

Mr. Quin motioned to Lisa, and the two of them left the room. Allura still felt like the world was spinning, but Keith's warm, tight hold made her feel a little better about it. She wished the deer had just stayed on her side of the road; she also wished she'd taken her mother's advice and not driven out to Lisa's in the first place in the bad weather. But at least she was safe and warm, and had people here who cared about her and would take care of her until she could go to the hospital. She yawned, and Keith gave her a light squeeze.

"Oh no, you don't," he warned. His voice was firm. "No sleeping, Ally." He picked her up off the couch and then sat down on it, holding her in his lap. He reached for the TV remote. "Let's see if we can find anything interesting."

She was too tired and sick to protest, and watched as the TV flashed different shows and commercials as Keith searched for something entertaining to watch. When he found a movie he liked, he set the remote down and kissed the top of her head. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she whispered back. Her stomach was starting to settle down again, and the dizziness had passed. "Star Wars?" she asked, smiling a little.

"Just the best sci-fi movie ever made," he told her, a smile in his voice. "Return of the Jedi."

"I do like that one," she said, snuggling in against him. He gave her a squeeze. As she watched the antics of the Ewoks and C-3PO, she truly relaxed for the first time since going into the ditch. She was feeling better, and even though she knew she'd still have to go to the hospital, she also knew Keith would be with her. When she giggled at something in the movie, Keith shifted her around so he could see her face.

"You must be feeling a little better now," he said. His eyes, a deep chocolate brown, twinkled.

"Not bad for being concussed," she said, winking at him. "Will you stay with me at the hospital?"

"Of course," he said immediately. He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "You know, even concussed, you're still the prettiest girl I've ever seen."

She blushed, his words making her feel warm and fuzzy – the good kind of fuzzy. "And you're definitely the cutest guy I've seen," she told him softly. He grinned and kissed her forehead, then turned his attention back to the movie. Mr. Quin and Lisa came back in and sat down in the two rockers, both casting worried looks at her. She smiled reassuringly, happy that she had these people here with her. As she settled back into Keith's arms to watch the Rebellion battle the Empire, she smiled to herself. There were worse places she could be stuck.


End file.
